It’s official! For the second time since the franchise’s inception in 1996, Pokémon fever has taken over the globe with the release of Pokémon GO for Android and iOS. While not the first app of its kind to use “augmented reality”, it certainly seems to be proven as the most popular. Everyone from young children thrilled at the existence of their favorite pocket monsters, to 90s kids who grew up with the first iterations of the animated show and games, and even older folks who are wondering just what this whole craze to catch a Pikachu is about, is taking part in this phenomenon. Everywhere I’ve gone I’ve seen people playing it: at the mall, on the street, even in church! Social media is blowing up with screenshots, memes galore, and trash talk about whose team the best: Team Instinct, Team Valor, or Team Mystic. No one is safe.
As one of those 90s kids myself and having grown up alongside the franchise, I was very excited when the app was announced. Even as I'm writing this, I'm listening to the soundtrack from Pokémon Blue, one of the first games. I love Nintendo and all their properties (Pokémon and Zelda being particular favorites), so I thought that it was about time they began breaking out of their shell of console exclusivity. I was so ready to download the app the minute it came out, ready to grab my friends and go Pokémon hunting in the car and on our bikes for all one-hundred and fifty-one first generation Pokémon (specifically to find my childhood favorite, Bulbasaur). There’s just one problem: I have a Windows Phone.
For those who are not aware, Microsoft also wanted to get in on the heightening smart phone craze a few years ago and so decided to create their own line of smart phones. However, the popularity of these devices is nowhere near that of Android and Apple phones, which would explain why many app developers have chosen to neglect the platform entirely. Nintendo, in this case, is no different, but there’s also a second clause to this. Microsoft is the owner of the Xbox line of consoles, which are direct competitors to Nintendo while Apple and Google are not. And with Nintendo being very protective of their properties, it seems unlikely a deal will happen. While there is hope for the future, it may be some time before we can get in on this craze.
But it’s not the end of the world. When I bought my Windows Phone, I had completely forgotten about Pokémon GO, since it was still a long way off until release, and was very happy with my purchase. And, despite not being able to tediously raise my nearly-useless Magikarp into a mighty Gyrados like I had wanted, I still am. It does all the things a phone should do, and that was what I wanted. If it calls, texts, and can surf the Internet when I need it, then it’s perfectly okay in my book.
I guess if I had to prescribe a moral to this story, it’s to be happy with what you have. Yes, I’d like to be out there looking for Mewtwo over the hills and far away, but it’s not something I’m going to lose sleep over at night. So to all my friends who are neck-deep in catching ‘em all, just remember to be safe, keep an eye out, frequent those Pokéstops, and stay hydrated out there. I’ll be over here, counting down the days until the release of Sun and Moon.
